Technostress, fatigue and social isolation: the risks faced by digital workers

BarcelonaThe expansion of platform work over the last decade has transformed labor relations in many ways, including the health risks associated with this type of work. This is the impact studied by the European project GIG-OSH, a collaboration between Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) and the Hospital del Mar Research Institute Barcelona, ​​using data from seven countries across the continent. Both institutions published the report on Tuesday. Working on digital platforms: what do we know about health and safety?The study highlights how the apparent flexibility promised by apps can become a form of precarious employment with dynamics detrimental to the physical and mental well-being of workers.

The study offers a portrait of the workforce in this new digital economy, a profile that varies slightly depending on the type of work. Regarding gender, men predominate in in-person tasks—this would include, for example, those in the riders Women work for Glovo or Cabify drivers—65% of whom are women; while in the remote work model—microtasks for all kinds of sectors such as design or translation—they make up 49%, with a slight advantage in female participation. "Work-life balance plays a key role here, but also the fact that in in-person work the risks of violence and discrimination are more pronounced for women," explains Ferran Muntané Isart, one of the UPF researchers who participated in the study.

The average age of these workers is 33.8 years, and in in-person work, more than half (55.7%) are of foreign origin. This percentage implies an overrepresentation of this group in this type of work, since foreign nationals make up around 15% of employed Spaniards, according to data from the latest Active Population Survey (EPA) published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). The proportion of migrants is lower in remote work applications, where they represent 29%. Furthermore, 68% have a university degree, a higher proportion among remote workers.

The report also notes that the average monthly income of these workers represents 32.2% of the average national income for on-site employees and 11.2% for remote workers. "In the case of Spain, where the average annual income is around €23,600, these proportions demonstrate the low contribution of these platforms to total income," the document emphasizes.

Sexual harassment and loneliness

What risks do these workers face while delivering packages on the street or programming code from home for rates they can't set themselves? The study reveals that 23.6% of on-site workers report having experienced sexual harassment, and 28.7% have faced discrimination. Conversely, 87.4% of remote employees identify with the feeling of workplace loneliness.

The most frequent physical risks for on-site digital workers are exposure to extreme temperatures (64.5%) and tiring or awkward postures (62%), followed by traffic (54.7%) and handling heavy loads (48.3%). In contrast, 29.6% of remote workers complain about tiring postures, in this case more related to inadequate work furniture or prolonged periods of staring at screens. According to researchers, these new forms of digital work are shaping a new map of occupational risks for the 21st century, where traditional occupational health categories are now insufficient and require a rethinking of the current framework. Technostress, anxiety, fatigue, social isolation, and dependence on automated assessments are some of the psychosocial risks stemming from this algorithmic control, which also accentuates the blurring of boundaries between personal life and work. "This monitoring is more prevalent in platform work, but not exclusive to it. One of the major risks is that it will serve as a laboratory for companies to implement these methods and extend them to other sectors," warns Muntané. In this regard, the UPF researcher welcomes the approval of the law. rider In Spain, legislation has been introduced to protect the presumption of employment status for delivery drivers, but Muntané warns that the regulations are still too ambiguous and leave many other groups who also work for platforms without being able to negotiate their working conditions unprotected. "People who work remotely are the forgotten ones, and they have an even harder time organizing and formulating collective demands," Muntané points out. Furthermore, she warns that artificial intelligence (AI) will further exacerbate this situation, forcing thousands of workers out of the workforce through lower rates.